Rail workers struggling to pay bills are "scared" of a real terms cut to their wages if the Network Rail strike, the largest on the railways in 30 years, fails.
Darren Pilling, 55, was stood on the picket outside Lime Street Station on Thursday, the second day of the three-day strike. The North West regional council secretary of the Rail and Maritime Transport union (RMT) said: "You can hear the rowdiness behind me. It's a very well attended picket line, morale is extremely high - probably something to do with the weather - and the support that we've had from the general public and the wider trade union movement is magnificent."
Many rail workers haven't had a pay rise since 2019, and negotiations between the RMT and Network Rail are at a sticking point, with the union opposed to a 3% pay rise along with modernisation measures, which would include cuts to safety jobs and an increase in working hours. This is up from an original offer of 1%, but below the union's demand of 7%, itself below inflation.
